Clerks II

***1/2 Stars

This is the funniest film so far this year and one of Kevin Smith's best.

It should be in full contention for Best Animated Feature next Oscar night. And it may.
NEW MOVIE OUT THIS WEEK

NEW MOVIE OUT THIS WEEK

Lady in the Water

** Stars

It had to end sometime.

Since M. Night Shyamalan's first hit with The Sixth Sense back in 1999, he has consistently produced more films that were just as worthy (Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village). Sadly, seven years later, Shyamalan has crafted his first failure.

Shyamalan is however one of a limited group filmmakers who can create such masterful imagination on screen. The concept is pure brilliance. Unfortunately, the execution here is disappointing.

Now I'm only saying this because maybe I expected more from him because I'm such a huge fan. Maybe Shyamalan just wanted to make a simple bedtime story. And if that's the case and you take it that way, you might like this movie.

The story takes place at The Cove, an apartment complex in the middle of Pennsylvania (the entire film is shot here) where Cleveland Heep, the building manager, rescues a mysterious young woman named Story. She is a narf, which from I've heard is a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the treacherous journey from our world back to hers. Cleveland and his fellow tenants start to realize that they are also characters in this bedtime story. For some reason, Story has this majestic power that will help one clear its mind and allow him or herself to discover their purpose. According to Story, "All humans have a purpose." And so does this film. It just doesn't show it.

The movie barely stays afloat because of Paul Giamatti, who is never worse than excellent. He is one of America's best actors. I hope that Shyamalan will get back in the winners circle with his next film.

An Inconvenient Truth

***1/2 Stars

What happens when you abuse the simple luxuries in life? What happens when the life you know vanishes into thin air?

Al Gore gives a stunning and haunting presentation on Global Warming. From countries all over the world, he has tried to send a disturbing message towards all nations. If we do not change the way we are living, the world could start to fall apart, literally, as short as fifty years from now.

Gore discusses several different issues that are affecting Global Warming. Automobiles, population, the oil industry, electricity, even mosquitoes all play a part in this crisis. There is so much information to obtain in this film that seeing it at least twice is crucial. It is not a movie, nor a documentary. It is a lecture that gives us the information to live beyond our generation.

It may not be action packed or loaded with FX, but it delivers more terror than most films in years. Gore explains that this is not a politically issue, rather than a moral issue. This is a crucial fact towards this film. Gore does occasionally crack a joke about his loss of the Presidential Election in 2000. But mostly, he gives us a piece of nature that is beyond astonishing. So take initiative and start to slowly change the way you live. The first thing to do is to rush to the theater as soon as possible to see An Inconvenient Truth, one of the most important films of our time.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

*** Stars

Dead Man's Chest hits the big screens as the best movie so far this summer. Johnny Depp gives another award worthy performance as Jack Sparrow, the infamous captain of the Black Pearl. This is an exciting, suspenseful, and hilarious sequel that tops its great predecessor.

Jack discovers he owes a blood debt to the legendary Davey Jones, Captain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman. With time running out, Jack must find a way out of his debt or else be doomed to eternal damnation and servitude in the afterlife. Making matters worse, Jack's problems manage to interfere with the wedding plans of a certain Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), who are forced to join Jack on yet another one of his misadventures.

Johnny Depp rocks the screen like no other actor has this year. His hilarious wit and bold charisma equals his Academy Award nomination performance in the original, with some great supporting performances by Bill Nighy as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgar as Bootstrap Bill Turner, Will's father. The movie is long but nonetheless a wonderful spectacle. Let's hope Pirates 3 will prevail into another swashbuckling adventure.